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Teacher and two students at one of CommonBond’s language camps.
Staff Report
Looking for a new, challenging and delightful summer adventure for your child right here in Sonoma Valley? Try ¡Spanish Camp! A tradition for many local families, this unique camp is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. No previous language experience required for children who come together with native Spanish speakers to play, sing, dance, cook and enjoy summertime activities en español. Campers can be first-time learners of Spanish, or fluent speakers – the program is designed to engage children with all levels of language experience.
This year’s teachers bring a wealth of specialties to the program, and they all have in common a dedication to teaching children to speak Spanish. Campers will enjoy time every day with each of the three teachers.
Lucía Chávez-Goodman, wonderful two-way immersion kindergarten teacher at Flowery School, brings once again to camp her extraordinary class in Mexican cooking and culture. She will be assisted by local pastry chef and Flowery immersion parent Lisa Lytle Vitale. Bringing theater arts and traditional dances to campers will be Gabriel Sánchez Navarro, leader of the local childrens’ theater troupe Los Trovadores, and popular Spanish teacher at Sonoma Charter School. Finishing out the trio is Carlo Ligotti, Spanish teacher at St. Francis Solano, who returns to camp with his popular outdoor activities and traditional crafts.
Camp will be held at El Verano School, and school bus transportation is available.
So what is the experience of a camper who wakes up one Monday morning of vacation in a Spanish-speaking world? Parents from previous camps have said it best: “My child had a wonderful cross-cultural experience. Don’t change anything – it is so good.”
Another candid statement addresses concern that many parents share, “My child complained at the beginning, but by the third day he was very excited to attend.” The theme of making new friends, experiencing another culture, runs throughout the evaluations. One said: “Perfect! Fun, friends, laughter – I give it a ‘ten’ in all areas.”
¡Spanish Camp! runs for two weeks, from July 16 to 27, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. It is open to children entering kindergarten through sixth-grade this fall. For more information or to register, please call Anna Pier, Director of Educational Programs for CommonBond Foundation, at 933.0404, ext. 120.
